Barn SwallowHirundo rustica

Barn Swallows like to live in open country and, as their name suggests, they have adapted to building their mud nests on any man-made structure such as barns, garages, or ledges. While their nests may be a nuisance, we have Barn Swallows to thank for their hard work in controlling insect populations of flies, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, moths, mosquitos, and all other flying insects. A lone Barn Swallow can eat up to 60 insects per hour, up to 850 per day! As the most widely distributed and abundant swallow in the world, Barn Swallows are easily distinguishable by their deeply forked tails. You can see them catching insects as they dart across open fields.

Fun Facts

Austria and Estonia both claim the Barn Swallow to be their national bird.

While their chicks are nestlings, Barn Swallow parents may feed their young up to 400 times in a day—and we think our children are needy!